 News Media contact:
Hannah Schafer
(971) 235-8472
hannah.schafer@portlandoregon.gov
@pbotinfo
Traffic Advisory:
Save the date! Flanders Crossing bridge installation scheduled for Dec. 18-20
Bridge installation will require a full closure of a segment of I-405 between Highway 26 and the Fremont Bridge
 An illustrated rendering of the future Flanders Crossing over I-405. Illustration by PBOT.
(Nov. 19, 2020) Flanders Crossing, the Portland Bureau of Transportation‘s (PBOT) newest pedestrian and bicycle bridge, is a month away from a major milestone. Crossing over Interstate 405, Flanders Crossing will connect Northwest Portland to the Pearl District and the central city. Crews will install the bridge the weekend of Dec. 18-20. This installation requires a full closure of I-405 in both directions at NW Flanders Street, including the closure of both the onramps and offramps at NW Couch Street (Exit 2A), beginning Friday, Dec. 18 at 10 p.m. through 5 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 21. Both the onramps and offramps at NW Couch Street (Exit 2A) will close slightly earlier at 10 a.m. on Dec. 18.
The bridge began its journey to Portland on Monday, Nov. 16, traveling from its fabrication facility in Minnesota by flatbed truck, and is expected to begin arriving in the City of Roses today. It will be staged on the east side of I-405 on NW Flanders Street between 14th and 15th avenues until the bridge installation.
 Constructed elements of Flanders Crossing loaded onto a truck trailer before traveling from Minnesota to Portland. Photo courtesy of PBOT.
When complete, the 24-foot wide Flanders Crossing will stretch 200 feet across I-405. Designed for two-way pedestrian and bike traffic, the bridge adds a seismic lifeline in the case of a major earthquake. As part of PBOT’s design for the project, there will be new traffic signals at NW 14th and 16th avenues, along with a four-way stop sign at 15th Avenue, to make it easy for pedestrians and people biking to access the bridge from both directions. The bridge is expected to open to pedestrians and people biking in Spring 2021.
During the I-405 closure, people driving will be directed to Interstate 5. Southbound I-405 traffic from the Fremont Bridge will be able to continue onto US30 and northbound I-405 will remain open onto US26, but no further. The exit to I-405 northbound from U.S. Highway 26 will be closed, with traffic directed instead to I-405 southbound and I-5 north.
A map of the detour route for the installation of Flanders Crossing the weekend of Dec. 18-20. During the I-405 closure, people driving will be directed to Interstate 5. Southbound I-405 traffic from the Fremont Bridge will be able to continue onto US30 and northbound I-405 will remain open onto US26, but no further. The exit to I-405 northbound from U.S. Highway 26 will be closed, with traffic directed instead to I-405 southbound and I-5 north.
We ask the public to travel cautiously and to observe all detours and directions by reader boards and flaggers. People driving should expect delays. Use alternate routes or ways of getting around, such as walking, biking, or taking transit.
This work is weather dependent and the schedule may change
For real-time traffic information during the closure, visit www.TripCheck.com.
Background
Until now it’s been hard for pedestrians or people biking to get across the I-405 in the area, with people having to use either NW Everett or Glisan streets, both of which have sidewalks on only one side and have tricky intersections with the onramps and exit ramps for I-405. For such a short distance, Flanders Crossing will provide the first easy, comfortable way to get across I-405, connecting Northwest Portland with the rest of the central city in a much safer way for pedestrians and people biking.
Flanders is also part of a new neighborhood greenway route, a low-stress, east-west biking and walking connection across Northwest Portland, the Pearl, Old Town, and into downtown Portland, including connecting to the Steel Bridge and Waterfront Park. Flanders Crossing and the new neighborhood greenway are enthusiastically endorsed by the Northwest District Association, Pearl District Neighborhood Association, Old Town Chinatown Community Association, the Nob Hill Business Association, and many others.
The $9.5 million bridge is funded through grants from ConnectOregon and city Transportation System Development Charges (TSDCs).
For more information, visit the project website at https://www.portland.gov/transportation/policy-and-planning/construction/flanders-crossing-bike-and-pedestrian-bridge
The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) is the steward of the city’s transportation system, and a community partner in shaping a livable city. We plan, build, manage, and maintain an effective and safe transportation system that provides access and mobility. www.portlandoregon.gov/transportation
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